


holding it together

by mwestbelle



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ant-Man (2015) Post-Credits Scene, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 01:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4587300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mwestbelle/pseuds/mwestbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened after Sam left to make the call. (An Ant-Man Post-Credits Scene snapshot.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	holding it together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hannahrhen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahrhen/gifts).



> I raffled off a fic to celebrate reaching 1k followers on tumblr, and hannahrhen asked for post-post-credits Ant-Man fic or, as I've been calling it in my head: the visefic. I don't usually do canon-inspired snapshots like this, so it was a fun challenge for me! I hope you enjoy it :D

"So," Bucky says. His voice is low and a little bit raspy, like he hasn't been talking much recently. He coughs, clearing his throat. "What's a nice guy like you doing in a warehouse like this?"

Steve's wondered for months what would happen when he finally was face to face with Bucky again. What he would say to Bucky. What Bucky would say to him. This never passed his mind, but he can't say that he's surprised.

"Jesus Christ, Buck."

"Yeah, that's an old one." Bucky shifts a little. He can't move much with his arm trapped in the vise, but he shifts from one knee to the other and uses his other hand to push his hair away from his face. It's still long, and Steve wonders whether he likes it like that or if it hasn't occurred to him to cut it. "But we're old too, huh? So maybe it makes sense."

"Mostly I think I ought to be asking you that." Steve leans in a little closer to the contraption that has Bucky stuck. "What the hell happened?"

"S'a long story." Bucky's smile is a little rueful. "What made you decide to come out of the shadows after stalking me for six months?"

Steve shakes his head. "Seemed like you finally got yourself into a scrape that you couldn't get out of again. I didn't want to...interfere."

Bucky snorts at that. "Now that's a bald-faced lie if I ever heard one."

Steve has to smile too; the whole thing is surreal, but Bucky's eyes are clear and alert. He's been taking care of himself this whole time, clearly more than capable of getting by without Steve's help, much as he didn't want to believe it at first. "Yeah, okay. My friends had some strong words with me about why I shouldn't interfere. But I couldn't not pay attention, Buck, not when I knew you were out here. Guess I wanted to be there when you needed me, just like you always were for me."

"I was, huh?" Bucky goes quiet for a moment. Steve can see the plates in his metal arm shifting slightly, working against each other; the arm's version of flexing. It seems like Bucky is thinking, processing something, so Steve stays quiet. A few moments later, Bucky speaks again. "I have dreams, sometimes. And I'm not sure whether they're real or...just wishful thinking."

It stabs something straight in Steve's gut, but he knows that isn't going to do him any good. He forces a smile instead. "You used to tell me about your dreams. Had a real whopper once where the Dodgers called you up and needed you to pitch, but you couldn't go because you couldn't find your shoes. You can tell me about these too, if you want."

"Shoes, huh?" Bucky snorts again. "Well, that answers some questions right there."

"Do you dream about..." Steve bites his tongue instead of saying _us._ It feels all too forward, too painful, when both of them are trapped here. Bucky physically, of course, but it's not as though Steve can leave now. He rubs his wrist. "You dream about the old days, then?"

"Mostly." Bucky sighs. "Some of it feels realer than others. Some of 'em I remember when I'm awake too, but not all of it. I think bits and pieces are getting muddled up in there."

Steve's heart is in his mouth; now really isn't the time, and Sam is just outside the door, could walk back in at any time. But it feels so much like a lie to not say anything that he's not sure if he can carry on with the conversation without bringing it up. He can't quite look at Bucky when he says, "Is it about...the two of us? The muddled parts?"

Bucky is silent for a long time, long enough that Steve peeks up at him through his lashes. Bucky is watching him with an expression that Steve remembers all too well, though not one he expected to see at this moment. It's exasperation. "You get dumber for every year you were on your own, Rogers?"

Steve rubs at the back of his neck. He can already feel a flush starting to rise in his cheeks. "Not as far as I know."

Bucky tilts his head a little, and at least now his annoyance is tempered with fondness. "Like I could forget something like that, you big lug. I meant...specifics. Stuff that happened during the war or...friends that we had. Some of it gets foggy."

"Oh. That makes sense." Steve is well and truly blushing now. He feels like a real boob, to have actually thought that Bucky would have forgotten about them. 

"I remember you." Bucky licks his lips, and Steve can see the faintest pink at the tips of his ears. The surest sign that Bucky's embarrassed too. It does Steve a world of good to see that familiar sight again. "You were the first thing I remembered."

"Oh." Warmth takes root in the center of Steve's chest, spreading through his body. He's been watching Bucky for months now, watched how he's moved through the world like a shadow. It's been obvious that Sam was right, and Bucky is entirely capable of taking care of himself. But he'd had no way of knowing _who_ Bucky is now. If he'd be the same person that Steve knew. Right now it feels like all his fears were unfounded, and the relief is heady.

He's not even thinking about the time or the place, how it's so very the wrong time _and_ place. He leans in to kiss Bucky, sliding his hand into Bucky's long, thick hair. Bucky grunts, returning the kiss with eager hunger. He's only got one free hand, but he grabs at Steve's side as he opens his mouth to him.

"Oh, come on." Steve jerks back at the sound of Sam's voice, his face tomato red. Sam shakes his head. "I should have known not to leave you two alone. Seriously, is this what passes for a romantic setting for you guys?"

"It was more of a spur of the moment thing," Bucky says, infuriatingly calm. Steve buries his face in Bucky's neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Hang out with me on [tumblr](http://villainsexuale.tumblr.com) for more fun & feels!


End file.
